Congratulations to the Interlake High School Chamber Orchestra earned a perfect score at the World Strides Heritage Festival in Anaheim last month – a first for an instrumental group in the organization’s history!
The orchestra’s performance of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by J.S. Bach as well as Introduction and Allegro, op. 47 by Edward Elgar were assessed by three adjudicators, all of whom awarded the students the full 100 points possible.
In commemoration of their exceptional performance festival organizers created a special award to honor the orchestra, the Spirit of Perfection. The students brought home numerous other awards as well, including:
- Outstanding Orchestra Group
- Adjudicator Award
- Gold 1st Place in the Orchestra Category
- Four students were honored with the Maestro Awards: Marie Leou (violin), Fiona Soetrisno (violin), Léo Dage (viola), and Sophia Cho (cello)
Students said they felt, “surprised,” “humbled,” and, “proud and thankful to our teacher and clinicians who dedicated their time to fine tune our performance,” when they heard their score.
“I was really proud and excited for our students because we put a lot of time and hard work into preparing for the performance, and they were rewarded with a perfect score which they deserved,” said Director Shira Katsman, Ed.D. “We are a conductor-less ensemble, which means that the students are self-directed during the performance. It is a collaborative effort in which every student is essential to the orchestra. Teamwork, respect for each other’s ideas, and a warm camaraderie have helped to create a unified ensemble which is fun for all.”
Click here to see videos of the Chamber Orchestra’s performance.